Importance of LGBTQ+ representation in Hollywood
by Ana Walia | Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:43:27 GMT
Image Source: Distractify, Variety, Page Six, World Famous Hub

The 2021 People’s Choice Awards were held on December 7, 2021, in the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica and were hosted by People's Choice Award nominee, actor, and comedian Kenan Thompson.

"RuPaul’s Drag Race" was nominated under the category for The Reality Show of 2021, which eventually went to Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but Gigi Gorgeous and Gottmik Talk took to the red carpet to talk about the representation of the LGBTQ+ community, especially at such prestigious award ceremonies that are known to make an impact.

Gigi Gorgeous is a Canadian YouTuber, socialite, actress, and model who came out as a transgender woman in 2013. During 2014, she documented her gender transition through social media accounts. RuPaul's Drag Race's second-runner-up was Kade Gottlieb known by her drag name 'Gottmik', an American drag performer and makeup artist who became the first trans man to compete in RuPaul’s Drag Race and placed as second-runner-up in the 13th season of the show.

During the red carpet appearance, Gottmik was asked about how she feels with all the love and response she has been getting from the audience, to which she said, "Oh my gosh, it is just the most magical time of my life. The fact that I was able to appear on one of my favorite shows in the world as the first trans man and simply represent an underrepresented community. I’m just so honored and so happy to be here. And I love it when people choose. So let’s go to bed. Now the look that looks that. "

In one of her interviews, Gottmik shared "I was going through so much, trying to figure out my life, not understanding it. But being able to put it into Gottmik helped me figure it out. Testing the boundaries of what I’m comfortable with within my femininity helped me understand myself outside of drag. " She has expressed that her being Gottmik is something that she has worked for, and she wants to do what she came here to do, "Crash the system, fight the patriarchy." Open doors for the queer community from all angles," she added.

The stunning Gottmik shared, “I have always been looking for someone like me in the media, and the fact that I went on my favorite TV show of all time and was able to be that for so many people is mindblowing to me to this day, and I’m so proud. I do identify as pansexual; to me it just means that I do not care about gender at all. All I really care about is a really gorg personality."

It should be noted that until recent years, Hollywood’s major award shows or ceremonies were dominated by older white, heterosexual, cisgender people, but now, according to a survey that was conducted in 2017, 5.6% of Americans identify themselves as LGBTQ, which means that 1 out of every 6 people from Gen-Z identifies as LGBTQ.

The reason why LGBTQ+ representation on such prestigious platforms is important is that looking at an individual who belongs to the same community normalizes the surrounding stigma, defuses stereotypes, and shows the world that everyone is equal and important, and they deserve to have their stories out to the world.

"RuPaul’s Drag Race" poster. Image Source: Vox

Megan Townsend, GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Research and Analysis, once said in a statement, "We know that LGBTQ audiences are a powerful and invested audience—and a quickly growing one—as we see more and more people empowered to live their authentic lives. The power, passion, and growth of LGBTQ audiences prove that if studios wish to be successful in retaining and expanding fans, they must tell "meaningful queer and trans stories". It was recorded that in 2020, there were 22.7% of movies featured LGBTQ+ characters compared to 2019 where it was 18.6%. 

GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis also shared, "This is a critical time of transformation for Hollywood—challenged to redefine business lines and practices during a global pandemic, driven by an increased demand from consumers hungry for new content, and rocked by the rightful reckoning and pressure for these studios to create more meaningful substantive change in representing and investing in marginalized communities. This transformation represents a great opportunity to swiftly accelerate acceptance of LGBTQ stories, break new ground, and invest in queer and trans talent and stories that audiences are eager to watch. Hollywood and the business of storytelling must be more nimble, more creative, and more open than ever before. "

Many celebrities, such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Oprah Winfrey, Billy Porter, Brad Pitt, and others, have come out in support of the LGBTQ+ community, making it feel natural and real for them and others who look up to them.

Brad Pitt, in 2012, spoke up about the importance of legalizing same-sex marriages and said, "Equality. That's what defines us. It's what makes us great. If it doesn't sit well with your religion, let your God sort it out in the end, but that's us. We're equal. Whereas Beyonce said in her 2020 inspiring speech to graduates, "If you're part of a group that's called "other"— a group that doesn't get the chance to be center stage— build your stage, and make them see you. Your queerness is beautiful, your blackness is beautiful, your compassion, your understanding, your fight for people who may be different from you is beautiful. 

There are many more celebrities and LGBTQ+ representatives in the industry who have utilized their platform well to advocate for a community that has been battling for their rights for a long time, and receiving recognition at award shows and being ranked among the most gifted performers means a lot for them. They are extremely glad that they will serve as an inspiration to someone hesitant to accept themselves for who they are.

LGBTQ+ representation is important!

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